That's What Friends Are For
by Serralinda
Summary: Tokyo Yaoiverse #5 - The Tyrant is floundering in his new job as a teacher. Will he find the help he needs? Remember to search for the series name if you're having trouble finding them all. They end up in different crossover categories.
1. Chapter 1

Serralinda here again, back with another small installment in my Tokyo Yaoiverse. This is just a fluff piece, but I was excited to add Kasanoda (Casanova, Bossa Nova) from Ouran to the mix - even if he is straight :) No lemon this time.

I own nothing -

**Junjou Romantica - Nakamura Shungiku**  
**Koisuru Boukun - Takanaga Hinako**  
**Ouran High School Host Club - Hatori Bisco**

*Just a note about Ouran - In the manga, Ouran covers all schooling from Kindergarten through University, so almost all the characters are still on the premises. But it won't work if I want them to mingle at M University, so I changed that.

* * *

**Help Needed, Help Received**

Professor Tatsumi Souichi gradually became aware of a muffled _D-d-d-eet! D-d-d-eet!_ drawing his attention away from the microscope. Glancing around the lab, he tracked the sound to his jacket hanging near the door. _Oh, shit! That's my phone alarm!_ He quickly shoved his specimens into the refrigerator, grabbed his work bag, exchanged lab coat for jacket, and dashed off toward his classroom. Then he spun around to go back and lock the door. He leaned his head against it for a moment and took a deep breath.

_I hate teaching classes!_ He banged his head on the door a few times. _I hate it...and I'm terrible at it_, he admitted to himself. He took no notice of the students giving him strange looks, didn't care that he was going to be late now. _Let them wait, they don't pay any attention to me anyway! Because I'm boring! I'm making Botany boring! Well, Botany _is _boring, but never mind that! I'm supposed to teach Agriculture next semester, but there won't be any students if none of them make it through Botany first. Then I'll get fired._

Tatsumi kicked the door and again headed for his classroom, but didn't bother with running. Hands in pockets, head down, he forced himself to walk calmly down the hallway, down the stairs, down another hallway. On the last stretch, he raised his head, put on his fiercest frown, and marched into his class.

* * *

Late in the afternoon, Professors Miyagi and Kamijou were both sitting at their desks with stacks of student papers before them...being ignored as they argued. A sharp knock on the door, interrupted them – mostly because no one ever bothered to knock and usually just barged in.

"Come in!" called Miyagi. When the door opened, it took him a minute to recall the name that went along with the man who wore glasses and kept his light-brown hair tied back in a long ponytail. "Tatsumi-sensei! Welcome! What do you think of Basho*?"

"I don't. Haven't since high school, probably."

Kamijou roared with laughter. "Good answer! Stupid Miyagi – he's a scientist."

"Even scientists can read poetry, dammit! But anyway, what's brings you by? How's your friend, the tall guy?"

"Ah, um. He's fine. I, well, I need some help. I guess. Or something." Tatsumi looked very uncomfortable, staring at the wall of dusty, overstuffed bookshelves rather than making eye contact.

The two exchanged a quick glance, realizing this might be serious. Keeping his tone light, Miyagi said, "Come in, and lock the door behind you because I'm going to smoke and it's totally against the rules. Would you like one?" He waved his pack.

"I have my own, thanks." Tatsumi fished his crumpled pack from a pocket.

Kamijou got up to open the window and offered Tatsumi his chair, but he chose to perch on the edge of Miyagi's desk. Cigarettes lit, Miyagi waited patiently while Tatsumi took a deep drag, then began to explain to them his problems, staring out the window into the campus quad.

"Look. Back at Nagoya Uni, all I ever did was stay in my lab and occasionally send a progress report to my professor. They all left me alone, let me have a few assistants, gave me my own small lab to work in. I barely even went to classes when I was an undergrad – just showed up for tests and studied on my own. Then, I got my doctorate and there was no place for me there, not as a teacher or a pure researcher."

He paused for another puff before continuing. "Since Morinaga was being transferred to Tokyo, I decided to come too, and the offer from M University was excellent. But suddenly it hit me. Between packing, looking for an apartment, moving...I had no idea how to teach a class. I've been trying to teach myself on the side, but I think I'm failing at it. I'm not good with people anyway, I have no patience with fools, and I'm as bored with Introductory Botany as all my students seem to be."

"Ahh," sighed Miyagi, "Beginner Teacher Syndrome." He mashed his half-smoked cigarette out in the ashtray. "We all go through it, truly. None of us are ready to teach when we first start. It's the worst for college professors, because we aren't required to take any 'How to teach' classes like lower-grade educators do. We're just expected to share our knowledge somehow."

"I had a terrible time my first year," admitted Kamijou. "I just kept making my classes read passages of their books out loud for the entire period so I wouldn't have to say anything. And all my tests were so hard, students dropped my classes until they were half-empty."

"And look at you now, The Demon Kamijou, famous for your rants and throwing objects at your students...and inspiring a love of Literature in them." Miyagi loved to tease Kamijou.

"Shut it you!" He tossed a pen, which Miyagi dodged from long practice.

Miyagi sat silent for a minute, then jumped up with enthusiasm. "Come with me, Tatsumi. Hiroki, we'll be right back." Tatsumi barely had a chance to stub out his own cigarette before Miyagi grabbed his arm and was dragged him out of the office.

Steering them out across the quad, Miyagi said, "Now, I don't know anything about plants, but I'm thinking you should give your students an away assignment. Tell them to break into groups and spend the next week out gathering weeds from local parks. Make them record an insane amount of details about the locations and dirt and weather or whatever. That will give you a week from teaching that you can use to get organized and then a week to go through them one at a time with the class. And they'll like it, since they can basically goof around outside."

Tatsumi, pushing to keep up with Miyagi's long-legged pace, goggled at him. "That's actually...a really good idea."

"Right? I've been doing this a while now, you know. Okay. Now we're going to Admin and make sure you are authorized to have assistants – you should be, having a Ph.D., but we'll just make sure. You can put up a notice on the Science message board, and I'm sure you'll get some eager students who want to get the credits and experience. You can get one to help you with the class, and at least one to assist in the lab - if you want that?"

"Uh, yes. That would be perfect for the lab. But, even with the classes?"

"Yes. Kamijou and I don't bother, because we're too obsessed with our subjects, but any professor can have a student help them grade papers, run errands, or even watch over the class when you need to step away. You just have to choose your helpers wisely."

Tatsumi thought of Morinaga. _I'll never find anyone like him...but that's probably a good thing! He's going to pitch a fit when I tell him I'm getting assistants. He'll probably want me to choose ugly ones – ha!_

"Here's Admin. Izumi should be able to tell us what we want to know..."

* * *

Somehow, they were already back at Miyagi's office. The man was like a typhoon, thought Tatsumi, tossing everyone around him this way and that, drowning them in chatter while he was at it. But damned if he didn't get results. Tatsumi now knew he could take on two assistants – one for the lab and one for his class. He had the papers he would need to fill out for them. He had a lesson plan for the next two weeks that didn't sound impossible or boring.

Kamijou glanced over at them as they came back into the room. He was talking on his phone, so he could only wave a greeting.

"Is that your handsome lover? Is he at home, eagerly awaiting your return?"

"Grr."

"Can I take you all out to dinner?" Tatsumi asked abruptly. "You've been so much help, I'd like to show my gratitude somehow."

"Oi. That sounds great. You in, Hiroki?"

"Kamijou," he corrected automatically. They could hear some response from the phone. "Hai, hai. Fine, Nowaki. I'll come home to change first. Okay, be there soon." Kamijou hung up.

"I guess that means yes," said Miyagi. "Where are we going?"

"Um...you'll have to choose. We don't know many restaurants yet," Tatsumi said.

"Let's go to the yakitori* stalls. I haven't done that in forever. We can meet at the JR Yurakucho station. Can you find that, Tatsumi?"

"I'm sure I can. 7:00 pm sound alright?"

"Perfect," answered Miyagi. "Oh, I'd better call Shinobu..."

"Go now, Tatsumi-sensei. He's disgusting to listen to when he talks to that brat. See you at 7."

Tatsumi made for the hills – he did not want to listen to lovey-dovey talk! _I'd better call Morinaga_, he thought [oh the irony!], and headed for home.

* * *

*_Matsuo Basho_ – famous poet of the Edo period (1603-1868). Miyagi is an expert on his works.

*_Yakitori stalls_ – yakitori is grilled chicken on skewers, and near the train tracks around Yurakucho station there are a bunch of street vendors selling it. Wikitravel for the win! Also, Abroad in Japan, the YouTube channel.


	2. Chapter 2

**Persistence Pays Off**

Tatsumi and Morinaga exited the subway car and headed for the stairs. Morinaga spotted a familiar pair just ahead of them – Kamijou and Kusama must have been in a different section of the same train. He didn't call out to them though, because he wanted to watch them.

At first glance, nothing about their behavior would expose them as a romantic couple. They didn't stand too close, they didn't stare longingly at each other, they didn't whisper and giggle. But after close observation, Morinaga could sense they were comfortable together, that they knew each other so well that clinging and cooing wasn't necessary. They didn't avoid touching because they were hiding their relationship, but because some feeling connected them even without the physical. _Long-term lovers_, Morinaga concluded. _I hope Senpai and I can be like that someday._

"Oi, stop daydreaming! Can you see any of them? It's too crowded here and I don't know where to go after the station." Tatsumi was looking a bit flustered. Not being fond of crowds, he was beginning to regret allowing Miyagi to choose their "restaurant" for the evening. Morinaga smiled down at him – who would have thought his awkward tyrant would invite two gay couples to have dinner with them? So cute!

"Hai, hai. I can see them all. Kamijou-sensei and Dr. Kusama are just ahead of us and Miyagi-sensei with his...with the kid are over by that streetlamp."

"You being a giant does come in handy sometimes. Come on," Tatsumi forged a path through the crowd.

Once they'd all assembled, Miyagi led the way. "Just a few blocks down this way. They had to set up away from the more fancy, touristy areas."

"I haven't been down here in years," said Kusama, "not since I was a kid with six jobs."

"Six jobs! How could you work six jobs at the same time? And why?" Shinobu stared over at Kusama like he'd grown an extra head.

"I was an orphan. As soon as I finished middle school I started working so I could leave the orphanage and live on my own. Not because I hated it, but to make more room for the younger children. But because I was so young, I had to take a lot of odd jobs – I delivered the newspaper, I worked for a florist (I still help out there once in a while), I cleaned a butcher's stall, I helped unload early morning fish deliveries, I ran errands for a company president, and - once I got bigger – I did construction work."

Everyone was staring at him now – Kamijou with pride, the rest with surprise. This tall, distinguished young doctor had really made something of himself, coming from such humble beginnings.

"Then, just as I was thinking about going back to school, I met Hiro-san. I was in the park with some of the old benefactors of the orphanage – we'd set up a picnic and were launching bottle rockets. One rocket landed right at Hiro-san's feet and I fell in love at first sight. I badgered him into tutoring me, then I threw myself at him and refused to go away until he loved me back!"

Kamijou's face was aflame. "Big idiot! Shut up with your crazy stories!"

"Ha! Remember that huge bouquet of roses you gave me when I passed the exam? That's when I knew you loved me back."

"...!"

"Anyway, that's our story. It's been almost 11 years." He shoulder-bumped his embarrassed lover. "And now I'm a doctor and he's a full professor. I still give money to the orphanage, and I give the children check-ups for free. Hiro-san gives them books. It was worth it, working those six jobs."

Kamijou looked around the street, then grabbed Kusama by the arm and began dragging him toward a dark alley. "Go ahead. We'll catch up," he called back.

Miyagi laughed. "They're going to go make out! Ah, to be young again!"

"Shut up, old man!" Shinobu grumbled. "You're only a few years older than Kamijou. Why don't you ever drag me into a dark corner?"

"No, I'm about a thousand years older. It's only you that keeps me from shriveling up and blowing away like dust. Besides, I'd get arrested because you still look like a teenager, even if you did just turn 20. Ah! Here we are!"

Morinaga and Tatsumi looked around at the scene. There were flimsy-looking food stalls lined up along the road, each with a grill in the middle of a square set-up with stools around the outside. Most of them looked packed, and there didn't seem to be any way of distinguishing one from another.

"How do you know which one is good?" Morinaga asked.

"Eh? They're all about the same really. You just find an empty seat. But we might have to search around to find space for all six of us."

"There!" announced Tatsumi, charging off toward a stall where three men were just leaving.

"Oh, good. And here comes Kamijou and Nowaki." Miyagi waved them over and everyone took a stool.

Waiting for their skewers to grill, sipping their cold beers, Morinaga felt compelled to ask, "So, Miyagi-sensei. How did you and Takatsuki meet?"

Shinobu answered. "Just call me Shinobu – Takatsuki is my dad. He rescued me from street thugs. Then he married my sister."

"Wha...?"

"Oi, Shinobu! You could make it sound a little more romantic!"

"Whatever!" Shinobu rolled his eyes.

"Tch! I was on my way to the hotel for a pre-marriage family meeting – to set the date and all that. I was trying to find the hotel when I saw him being harassed, so I scared the thugs off by pretending to call the police. Then we ran together to the hotel, because we were late. It wasn't until we both headed for the same room that we realized who the other person was. And well, he was only fourteen and I was thirty one – I didn't pay him much attention."

Miyagi paused the story as their food was served. Piles of grilled chicken all round. Everyone took a moment to choose their seasonings, then started munching.

"The Dean had taken a liking to me, so he was the one who arranged it all. I mean, I liked Risako, but it was also advantageous, you know? But I worked too much and neglected her, so she eventually cheated on me and we divorced. Then this guy showed up – he'd been at school in Australia – and announced that he loved me and I'd better take responsibility!" He laughed, but he also gave Shinobu a loving look.

"I fought against him, but it was no use. He's just too cute! Or maybe it was the cabbages...Ow! Don't punch your elders!"

"Wait," said Morinaga. "What's the deal with the cabbages? I've heard that mentioned before."

"Ha ha!" Kamijou jumped in. "Shinobu was determined to win Miyagi over by proving himself a good provider, so he insisted on cooking meals. But all he could cook was cabbage – badly. So Miyagi had cabbage in every conceivable form for months. Thank god Misaki is teaching him other things to cook – our office reeked of it! But Miyagi did lose 20 pounds."

" .ki!" Miyagi whined, "Are you saying I was fat? And Shinobu's a fine cook now. It's been over a year since I last ate cabbage."

"Hmph! And it's 'Kamijou' to you, Miyagi!"

"Why don't you like your name, _Kamijou_?"

I just don't. No one calls me that but my family and Bakahiko*, and only him because we've been friends since we were little kids. I don't think it suits me. I do not represent 'abundant joy.'"

Miyagi snickered. "No, I guess not." Turning on his stool to face Morinaga he said, "Okay, your turn. Cough up your embarrassing story."

Morinaga carefully avoided meeting Tatsumi's eyes, which he was sure were shooting poisoned darts at him.

"I was...discovered with a friend during my last year of high school. It was a huge scandal for my family and they told me they would pay my tuition as long as I went to college somewhere far from Fukuoka. I ended up in Nagoya with no major or goals, other than becoming independent from them. I saw Senpai right away and I kept trying to catch his attention. It took me four tries before he remembered my name!"

"Pah! I knew who you were. I just wanted you to leave me alone. 'Notice me, Senpai!'"

"What? I don't believe you!"

"You were annoying! I thought you were a frivolous fool. At least, until that day..."

"Ah? Um, where was I? Oh, yeah...he was already a big science nerd, so I took some science classes too. Then I got lucky. I had recorded a nature show and he'd missed that episode, so I invited him over that evening to watch it. But he didn't show up, so I went to the lab and found his professor...bothering him -"

"He was going to rape me. Don't need to hide it, Morinaga. We beat him up together. Then I got the lab to myself and took this guy on as an assistant."

Everyone looked horrified, and it was Morinaga's turn to look proud.

"Look," Tatsumi went on, "I was always against homosexuals, even before that. And that incident made it worse. I said horrible things. I still catch myself thinking them once in a while. My little brother fell in love with another guy and they moved to America and got married. And I was still horrible, threatening to kill that guy and calling all gays 'rape demons.' Morinaga broke down and confessed to me, and I was still horrible. But...I didn't run away from him, though it made me uncomfortable for a long time. I just pretended he never said anything."

Tatsumi played with a empty skewer. "He didn't give up. He was like...a symbiotic, mutualistic* bacteria, though I considered him parasitic for a long time. It took me a very long time to notice how much I depended on him as more than a lab assistant and drinking buddy. Then, uh..." His cheeks flushed. 'Well. He changed my mind. And meeting you guys has changed it even more."

There was silence as everyone tried to digest this tale (and all the chicken). Then Shinobu asked, "A symbio-whatsit?"

"Ha, like a mold. He grew on me. Don't you dare hug me right now."

Morinaga sniffled. "I won't, Senpai. But I want to!" _I love you so much right now! _Morinaga thought, knowing how much his Senpai had changed to be able to say these things openly.

"You are a brave man, Tatsumi-sensei. Morinaga too." Miyagi looked almost ashamed. "Compared to you two, we've all had it easy when it comes to...our lifestyle. I mean, we still keep it to ourselves at work and so on, but none of us has dealt with violence or persecution or being rejected by family."

"Hmph. We did nothing special, and we made huge mistakes. And, here we are now, ruining the mood. Let's go walk off all this food. And everyone – we can leave off the titles, I think?"

"I agree, Tatsumi." Miyagi looked around and they all nodded. "Okay, where next? The Godzilla Statue?"

They spent the rest of the evening talking of frivolous things, wandering the area like tourists, and becoming better friends.

*_Bakahiko_ – Usami Akihiko, from "baka" (idiot) and Akihiko.

*_Mutualistic_ – when two organisms live together (symbionts) and each provides something useful for the other, rather than parasitic where one feeds off the other.


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't Judge a Book...**

Tatsumi was looking forward to an entire day devoted to puttering around in his lab. Thanks to Miyagi, his students were presumably out wasting time instead of gathering specimens for their project. _Good for them, and good for me. It's so peaceful! I'll be able to -_

_Bang!_ The door flew open and hit the wall. Tatsumi nearly fell off his stool, eyes flying to find the cause of this rude interruption. The cause appeared to be a big guy with dark red hair and strange clothes, but he was turned half around and shouting at someone out in the hall. "Leave me alone, will ya? Don't you have your own classes to go to?"

"But young Master..." _Bang!_ He slammed the door on whoever was still talking out there. Then he turned around.

_Urk!_ thought Tatsumi. _Is this guy gonna kill me?_ He looked young, but that face – scary! It was the face of a stone-cold killer, never mind that he was dressed in some kind of crazily patterned, frilly shirt with a bright yellow scarf and his hair in a messy man-bun. _Is this how the yakuza* are dressing in Tokyo now?_

"Um. Sorry about that, Tatsumi-sensei – you are Tatsumi-sensei, right? I...my friend is over-protective sometimes...Uh, sorry, I'm Kasanoda Ritsu and I'm here about the assistant position! For Botany class! Um...I like plants." After this stammering, half-yelling speech, he stared at the floor like a shy child.

_Whaa?_ Tatsumi had no idea how to take this character. _What a bundle of contradictions._

"Ah...? Yes, uh, the teacher's assistant job. Wait, are you even in one of my classes? I think I would have noticed you..."

Kasanoda's face turned red - _He's blushing!?_ \- and he scuffed his shoes on the floor before looking up. Taking a deep breath, he spoke much more quietly this time.

"I'm not. I took Botany last year. But I want to take your Agriculture class next semester, and I thought being your assistant would refresh my memory and maybe you'd teach some different things. Old Man - I mean, Professor Miura was...well, he was an old fart and old-fashioned and useless when it comes to modern plant cultivation and organic farming techniques and...! Sorry, I didn't mean to yell." He took another minute to regain his cool before continuing on.

"All my classes are in the afternoon, so I'm free during the morning hours. I'm a pretty good student – well, my handwriting is awful but I'm working on it – and I could also put in time in the evenings or on weekends. I just, well...I like plants..." his voice trailed off.

Tatsumi wasn't sure what to think, but somehow he liked this guy. _Blunt and honest and a loud voice and a hot temper? Who does he remind me of._.. [I wonder]

"Are you clumsy?"

"What? Uh, no, not very." Kasanoda looked confused.

"Have you taken any chemistry or biology courses? What about Latin?"

"N-not since high school. But I didn't blow anyone up or anything. Latin...no."

"Okay, put on a lab coat – what is with those clothes, by the way? - and come over here." Tatsumi had decided on a trial-by-fire approach.

"My girlfriend is a fashion design student. She makes me wear her stuff," Kasanoda told him while putting on a white coat.

"I guess that's better than you being color-blind or oblivious. Get me the petri dishes labeled _Gracilaria*_ from the light unit over there. I've been exposing them to different amounts and types of light to see how they react."

Kasanoda fetched them. They spent the next hour with Tatsumi patiently explaining, guiding, and questioning the young man, finding him to be both attentive and a quick study. Kasanoda, for his turn, took everything in like a sponge, fascinated. Tatsumi made up his mind.

"Okay, take a seat here,' he pointed to a nearby stool. Kasanoda sat obediently.

"I need a lab assistant as well as a class helper-monkey. I think you'll do. If you come in at 8:00 am, you can work with me for three hours, then we'll go to my class. And four hours on Saturdays, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, just lab work. I might ask you to drop by the lab at other times, just to check an experiment or rotate something – stuff like that. I'm not really sure I'll need much help in the classroom, but you can use that time to refresh your Botany like you said or read manga for all I care. You'd get school credits for both positions."

Kasanoda's face...well, it didn't get any more handsome, but it did light up with excitement. "Really? I never even considered the lab assistant job. Are you sure?

You'll have to train me in everything."

"I'd rather train someone my way, than take on someone with habits that annoy me. Anyway, you seem to learn fast, and you're quiet when you aren't shouting. I don't like a chatterbox."

"...! Sorry. My voice is just naturally loud, I guess."

"That's alright. I shout a lot, you'll see. I have a terrible temper. They used to call me The Tyrant back in school. So, what do you think?"

Kasanoda hesitated. "Before I agree...My family is yakuza. I'm, well, they don't make me participate in any of that and they're mostly legit nowadays anyway, but – you should be aware. If that - if you're not bothered by that, I'd be very honored to become your assistant."

_What an odd duck he is_, Tatsumi thought. _So I was right about the face, but not the personality._ "Okay. As long as you don't bring any of that into the lab, I don't care. But, before you take the job, you should be aware that I'm...that I live with a man. As my...er...lover." _Waaah! I said it out loud!_ "I'm telling you both because you were honest with me and because he tends to drop by, so you'd probably figure it out anyway."

Kasanoda's face showed no disgust, only surprise. "Ah, oh...that's none of my business. I had a crush on a guy once – well, he turned out to be a girl, but I didn't know that at first and even after I knew I had to pretend not to know to keep her secret. So everyone thought I was gay and that it was a tragic one-sided romance and it made me popular for some strange reason, when before that everyone was scared of me. Uh, sorry, too much information! But I mean, it doesn't matter to me at all. I'd like the job!"

Tatsumi felt relief. He'd been dreading the search for assistants, and here one had dropped into his lap like a gift from the gods. "Alright then. Can you start on Saturday? Oh and..." he scribbled down a website address, "this website has an online course, 'Latin for the Sciences,' that would be good for you."

"Sure thing! 10:00 am, right? Thank you, Sensei!" Taking the note, Kasanoda took off the lab coat, bowed deeply, and left the room. Tatsumi made a mental note to take down his "Help Wanted" message.

…

Saturday morning, of course Morinaga insisted on visiting the lab. _Yakuza!_ What was Senpai thinking! And so what if he supposedly had a girlfriend? That might be a lie or she might just be some floozy he could easily discard. _Senpai has no idea how sexy he is!_

Tatsumi had just rolled his eyes. "You'll see," was all he'd said.

_Yes, I will! I'll show this guy, and make sure he knows to keep his hands off!_

As they were approaching the lab door, Morinaga caught sight of three young people loitering in the hallway. He put on his most menacing look and prepared to do battle.

"Oi, Kasanoda, "called Tatsumi, "you're here early."

The three turned to look at them and Morinaga could only blink, speechless, all menace drained away. One looked like a mass murderer, but dressed like an escapee from a comedy variety show. The girl was orange from fake tanning and wore a pile of make-up on top of that – not to mention her skimpy outfit. The other guy was remarkably average, aside from the band-aid on his neck. _Hiding a yakuza tattoo? But he looks nice!_

"Tatsumi-sensei! I just got here," said the ugly one loudly. _No, he's not ugly_, Morinaga had to admit. But even if his face wasn't permanently scowling, the guy would never be called handsome. "Um. This is Yasumura Mei*, my girlfriend. And my best friend, Sendo Tetsuya*. Mei, Tetsuya – you guys go! I'll be here all day."

Morinaga raised his eyebrows as the young woman ignored this directive and gave them the once over, judging their casual clothes. "Good color choices. But boring. Sensei would look good in a tan leather jacket, retro with wide lapels. I love the long hair. Have you tried a man-bun? You," she indicated Morinaga, "faded, torn jeans and a tight cashmere sweater – orange. Maybe a piercing...?"

"Ha ha!" Kasanoda laughed nervously. He grabbed Mei by the shoulders and turned her around, adding a little push. "Go away, please! I'll call you later."

"Pfft! You're no fun!" But she kept going, dragging Tetsuya along with her.

"Sorry about that Tatsumi-sensei! They insisted. Mei wanted to size you up, and Tetsuya seems to think I need a bodyguard. Grr!"

"Careful, you're growling. That is an interesting girlfriend you've got there. This is Morinaga Tetsuhiro, the one I told you about."

"Oh, you're his boyfriend! Nice to meet you!"

_Huh? Ehhh? Senpai had...?_ Tatsumi carefully avoided meeting his shocked gaze, unlocking the lab door and almost running inside. When Kasanoda moved to follow, Morinaga put out a hand to block him. "Wait a minute. He told you about me?"

"Hmm? Oh, that you are a couple? Yes, since he thought I'd find out anyway when you stopped by all the time. Is that alright? I won't tell anyone. Shit! I told Mei, but I'll make sure she keeps it to herself."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I don't mind and I guess...well, he doesn't mind either if he told you. He must like you." Morinaga studied the young man, but didn't reach any conclusion. "Let's go in."

Morinaga spent the next two hours closely observing his lover and Kasanoda. The student, despite his fierce face and loud voice, followed Tatsumi around like an eager puppy. He was careful with the specimens and chemicals, he asked good questions, most of all – he obviously shared Tatsumi's agricultural interests. And not a hint of romantic inclination.

"Senpai, will you go outside with me for a minute?"

Tatsumi looked up from the microscope. "Sure, I could use a smoke. Kasanoda, why don't you go through that cabinet and see how the shelves are arranged. Be right back."

Kasanoda waved them on, already heading for the cabinet. Once they reached the stairwell, Morinaga took the opportunity to steal a kiss.

"Oi! Idiot! You're not going to do something crazy from jealously, are you?"

Morinaga laughed. "No, Senpai. I'm going to go get us some lunch. Then, after we eat I'm going to leave you two alone."

"...!"

"That's right. I like him. You're two peas in a pod, you know. Though of course, you are gorgeous and he's...not. But I can see why you chose him. You've found a true kohai*." Tatsumi looked surprised. "He shares your interests. I didn't really. I was just there to be near you."

"I guess. But, whatever your reasons, you were the best assistant I could have asked for." And with that, Tatsumi kissed him back before dashing down the stairs and out onto the quad.

Morinaga followed with a spring in his step. _Tokyo, is turning out much better than I expected,_ he thought.

**Hey guys – no lemon in this one, sorry! Don't worry, I (and they) haven't gone soft, he he. See you next time!**

*_Yakuza_ – Japanese mobsters/gangs, they can range from mostly shady-but-powerful businessmen to small time thugs. I've decided Kasanoda's family aren't big fish in that pond.

*_Gracilaria_ – a type of algae with many different uses.

* _Kohai_ – the junior in rank, s_enpai_ or s_ensei_ would be used for the older of the two. Can be an apprentice/master type of relationship or just between coworkers where one has been at the job longer.


End file.
